Finding True Love
by PEANUT v1.2
Summary: Sora meets Kairi under a Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree, a place where it is said people fall in love. Is the legend true, and will Sora and Kairi not go against fate? Or will it all come crashing down? SoKai; fluffy.


Finding True Love

It was a normal, yet lovely day. Lovely…yet boring. The weather was great, but that didn't alter the pensive mood of a girl who was at the park that day.

A cool wind blew through Kairi's hair as she sat under a beautiful tree, the beautiful girl lost in her thoughts of a former lifestyle. She wasn't one for ancient legends or tales that were just fairytales, but ever since she had made her lucky charm and given it to Sora (and him having returned it to her), she couldn't help but believe in some of the stories she had been told.

One story, though, she desperately wanted to believe. It was a tale as old as time, and it had been her favorite tale to hear when she was growing up.

Her mother, whom as royalty herself, had never gotten tired of telling Kairi about how she met her father. It had been a beautiful day, much like the day Kairi was in the middle of that moment. Tara had been sitting there in a red sundress and reading a book when a boy had wandered over.

That boy…he was awkward, to say the least. They had been classmates all through their schooling, and he had never been one to talk much. Her mom had been pretty scared, because it was said that anyone who was in the royal family ended up meeting their true love under a Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree. Kairi had to laugh at how her mother always said that she had prayed that there was some kind of mistake, and that fate was wrong.

But then Charles pulled one flower out of the tree branches and sat down next to Kairi's mother Tara without looking at her.

"All my life," he started softly, "people have been telling me what to do. Who to be associated with and who to fall in love with. They want me to leave this place, to find the one meant for me.

"Well, if right is leaving, I'd rather be wrong. You're not going anywhere, and I don't want to either. You're more beautiful than the sunlight…You live in a daydream, where I don't belong. I don't want to leave my sunlight behind."

Tara was startled by this; what happened to the awkward boy that she had been so unimpressed with a few moments ago? What he was saying now, though strikingly bold and straightforward, was somehow…attractive to her. She stayed silent and looked over at him, listening as he continued.

"Ever since I laid my eyes on you, all I've wanted to do is be with you. I've seen you around, Tara. I've seen you laughing with your friends; smiling even when you're sad, crying but still having hope…all that I want to do is hold you and cherish you."

"Charles…"

"I love you," he said gently. "Please, may I be the one to hold you?"

Tara smiled at his soft-spoken words. She couldn't bring herself to say any words; she was too blown away by the sincerity she felt from his words and tone of voice. Charles had a reputation for being an honest and sweet guy, and now that she saw it, she couldn't help but hope the legend was right.

"Yes," she whispered, a smile on her lips. Charles gently placed the flower in her long brunette hair and then held her hand, those simple actions signifying a strong natural bond between them.

The two of them were married three months later, and Kairi had never seen two people who loved each other more.

The redhead sighed, coming back to the current moment. Her eyes instinctively wandered up towards the tree above her, a few flowers flying off in the light breeze. She couldn't help but wonder if the legend was true, or if it were just coincidence her mother and father met under a Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree. She wanted to believe—she really did, but what were the chances she would meet her true love in a way as grand as her mother's? It didn't seem likely…

"Hi, Kairi," a voice greeted her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

The teenage girl smiled and looked to the boy standing in front of her, her bright blue eyes connecting with a pair even brighter. "Hi Sora," she greeted warmly.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked politely, referring to sitting under the tree. Kairi nodded wordlessly and he grinned, sitting down right next to her.

_He can't possibly know about the legend, Kairi_ thought, her eyes staying on the boy beside her for a moment before she looked forward. Sora was from a completely different world, literally and figuratively. There was no possible way he could have known that lovers met under these trees. Impossible.

"It's a beautiful day," Sora stated softly, not sure if he were talking to Kairi or to himself. There was just something magical here…something he couldn't put his finger on. But everything felt so naturally peaceful, so he wasn't complaining.

Beside him, Kairi nodded. "It is," she said quietly in agreement. "It reminds me of a story that my mom always used to tell me."

Sora turned his head to look at the girl beside him and, despite the fact that she wasn't looking back at him, he kept his gaze on her. "What story?" he prodded gently, curious as to what his long-time friend had on her mind. It sounded pretty serious, but if it was brought up by a beautiful day, how serious could it be? He knew things could go wrong even when the weather was good, but still, he himself associated beautiful weather with good memories.

Kairi lightly grabbed a fist full of grass, her eyes wandering down. "The story about how my parents met," she confessed softly. "They really spoke for the first time when they were under a Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree. My dad always said that was the moment he fully comprehended what love was," she said with a soft laugh.

Sora chuckled softly, understanding how somebody could feel that way. "It only takes one moment to completely change things, doesn't it?" he mused aloud, looking forward again.

Kairi nodded and looked up, a few tears filling her eyes. She wasn't sure where they had come from, or what purpose they served. Were they tears of joy or tears of sadness? Or perhaps they were both; after all, she was under a tree with somebody very dear to her, but she couldn't share this story with either of her parents because they were no longer with her. "Yeah," she choked out in agreement, bringing a hand to wipe one tear that slid out the corner of her eye.

The brunet's expression softened and he turned to face her, the teen completely comprehending where she was coming from. He had lost his dad at a young age, so he knew that everything could change in a matter of seconds. He supportively reached out and grabbed her hand before he faced forward again, not wanting to make a girl so special to him feel awkward.

Kairi laughed softly, sniffling once. "It's funny…" she started. "I never believed in fairy-tales or legends before I made my lucky charm, but…" Dare she say it? She had already started, so she might as well have finished the thought. "But since then, I've started hoping that one tale from home is really true. Everyone in my family has met their soul mate under a Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree. I don't know if it's coincidence or not…"

"That's not too likely, though," Sora said softly, inserting his thoughts when Kairi paused in her sentence. "After all, what're the chances of even one couple finding each other under those circumstances?" he wondered, gazing at the rest of the trees in the park they were at.

"I agree," Kairi said gently. She looked up at the tree hanging above them and then over to Sora, who wasn't looking at her. "I hope that it's true for me, anyway," she said softly.

Sora blinked and felt a gaze on him, his head turning toward the source. He saw the look in Kairi's eyes and his gaze moved upward to the tree, his blue orbs widening slightly when he realized exactly what she was saying. "You mean…?"

The girl smiled weakly and nodded.

Now it was Sora's turn to smile, and smile he did. He gripped Kairi's hand more tightly and sighed in relief. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to hear something like that," he admitted softly.

"Ever since the day I've met you, Kairi, I've wanted nothing more than to be with you. To cherish you or make you laugh or just…just see you happy."

"Sora…"

Sora shook his head, lifting his free hand to request silence. Thankfully, Kairi listened and allowed him to speak again. "Whenever I was away from home," he started softly, "I'd always go out at night and look up at the stars. And I'd always wonder if you were wishing on that same bright star."

"I think I was," she said softly, eyes wandering down to their hands. "I don't know, I just…"

"I know," Sora said with a grin. He kept that look on his face for a moment before becoming more serious again. "It just seems so natural, doesn't it?"

"It does," Kairi responded gently. And she couldn't have felt that anymore than she did at that moment; if there was anyone she wanted to meet under the Cherry Blossom Tree, then it was definitely Sora. She shouldn't have _been_ surprised when he sat down next to her under the tree; there was nobody else in this world—no, in any world—better suited for her than Sora.

"Everything is as it should be," Kairi said softly, looking up at the sky that came through the branches of the tree.

_A perfect love story in real life,_ the girl thought with a smile. She felt a flower land between her and Sora, connecting them more in a strange sort of way. _Maybe there's hope after all. _The Princess looked across the park with a smile on her face and a hand in hers that made her heart feel warmer than she thought possible. Miracles happened; things worked out after all.

_I'll never give up hope now. _

_Never. _


End file.
